


Common Occurrence

by kideaxl



Category: Digimon - All Media Types, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Cyber Sleuth
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christmas Eve, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Romance, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:47:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22884271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kideaxl/pseuds/kideaxl
Summary: Tai was spending Christmas Eve alone until he met her. Apparently she was going to make it her mission to know him better, whether he liked it or not.
Relationships: Ami Aiba/Yagami Taichi | Tai Kamiya
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

The streets of Odaiba were littered in festive lights dying even the ground making a road of jolliness. A slow and steady flow of snow sprinkled the ground making a landscape of cheer that brought a smile on most of the faces of those walking on them. It was a beautiful night of Christmas Eve.

Tai walked along the bright streets with aimless steps. After every singular step he took a moment’s time to grind his heels and disrupt any collection of snow he encountered. His eyes lingered solidly on the ground and never rose higher than a person’s abdomen. Unsteady but visible breath seeped through his lips like a beast.

During his walk, he passed a number of couples linking arms and nestling against one another. The sight caused him to glare. Sweet tones coming from the couples were jeers to him. Tai shoved his hands into his jacket to hide his violently shaking balled fists. A real part of him wanted to deck every single guy strolling with a lover.

They were not satisfied enough with their happiness. Each of those guys felt the need to show off their fortune, a fortune Tai could not enjoy. What did every guy he passed have that he did not. Why did those girls say yes to them, but he couldn’t receive one?

He passed yet another couple, the 9th he had counted thus far, and he had to fight back the tears as they threatened to escape his eyes. Ashamed, he ducked his head to hide his expression to his fellow pedestrians. 

Don’t be such a big baby. I faced plenty of digimon. I’m not going to cry like a wimp over this, he thought. What good was a crest of courage when he was shaken up by a simple rejection? Tai wished he could shape all of his pain into a digimon and set Wargreymon against it. He understood how to conquer a digimon, with or without a partner, but his heart was another matter.

Lost in his mind, Tai ended up colliding with a figure. Said person hadn’t moved an inch, but Tai fell off his feet. He was half convinced he had run into a wall. 

Tai rubbed his sore face, “Hey! Watch where you’re go-.” He paused as he took in the person he had collided with.

The person was a girl around his age. She appeared surprised at first before shifting her expression to a smile so wide her eyes squinted.

It was her hair that captured his attention. Her hair stood out vividly against slowly falling snow like a Christmas light of its own. It must have been weaved by some great craftsman from flames themselves into a fine quilt draping just to her shoulders. Clearly she had good taste, evident by the pair of goggles tied to her side ponytail.

The girl bent over and offered him a free hand, “Sorry about that, buddy. I hope you aren’t too hurt.” She extended her hand closer towards him.

Tai grimaced, “I’m fine.” He pushed her hand away harder than necessary.

She smirked in response and snatched his wrist. The girl pulled him to his feet in one smooth motion. Satisfied, she placed her umbrella over him. She was a touch taller than him.

“You don’t have a hood or an umbrella. You’ll catch your death of cold,” she said.

Tai grinded the heel of his boots into the snow, “I’m fine.” This was not happening. Every female in his life felt the need to nag at him, be it his mom, sister… or Sora. There was no way he accept it from a stranger.

“Not with all that shivering you’re doing.”

“Mind your own business.” All he wanted was to end this conversation. It was dragging on like an unpleasant itch he couldn’t scratch or a goal he couldn’t score. Whatever game she was playing, he didn’t want any part in it.

“Sorry, can’t help being a busybody,” she said.

“I’m not in the mood for this.” He attempted to make his leave.

But she caught his arm. Despite his struggling, he was unable to shake her off, “Is it your hobby to harass strangers you meet on the street?” It was like the world was having a kick at mocking her. He lacked the strength to get over his insecurities and power to move from the loose grip of a girl.

She invaded his personal space, “The name’s Ami. See? Now you know who I am. What’s yours?”

“I don’t have to answer you.” Tai didn’t want company. He wanted to curl up in some corner and be swallowed so that others didn’t bombard him with their happiness. Obviously the girl had other ideas. If only she was a dude, he would’ve decked her by now and raced off into the night. Now that was a mood lifter. 

Ami tapped her cheek for a moment before snapping her fingers. She dug into the pockets of her puffy yellow jacket and rummaged around for something. When she pulled her hand out, she had a promotional ticket, “Come on, if you answer I’ll treat you to some food. There’s a couple deal at this joint I know.”

Tai made a show of pulling away again, but he was unsuccessful. His escape attempts were unable to cause her to falter for even a second. Tai’s stomach ached in hunger as though in rebellion. He hadn’t eaten the whole day. “Fine, I’ll go. I don’t have anything better to do anyway. And the name’s Tai.” The faster this went the faster he got some food and could kill this interaction.

“Great! You won’t regret it,” she says.

“I’m already kinda am.”

“Oh, stop being such a sourpuss.”

With his agreement, Ami finally let go of his arm. Tai rubbed his abused limb to soothe the ache. He walked to her when she gestured towards him. When he reached underneath the umbrella, she stood closer to him than expected.

They began their walk. In the meantime, he observed his walking companion. Ami walked surefooted and with a little skip to her step. She was even whistling a soft little Christmas tune. The grays of her eyes were alight and grew even brighter with each festivity she encountered. Ami would take time to greet many of the couples they would pass and said couples answered back as though they were long time friends. Ami flashed him a smile when her eyes met his. 

He was quick to turn away embarrassed. His staring had been far too blatant for his tastes, but he couldn’t help it. This girl was strange. She was pushy but underneath it was a cuteness he couldn’t deny. Unlike him, she appeared confident in her own skin and was having the time of her life. Tai could use some of that right now.

“We’re almost there,” she said.

Tai inhaled the fragrance of multiple eateries around them. There was the soft background chatter of couples saying sweet nothings to one another. He took in the blend of all the cooking and his hunger grew. Besides, heartbreak had a way of increasing one’s appetite.

Ami led him down the path until they reached a particular stall.

She pulled at his arm and pointed towards the stall, “This is it.” She picked up her pace. Ami pushed aside the entrance flap.

Tai followed suit. The interior revealed it was a ramen shop. Warm lighting bathed the whole interior with a pleasant beige hue. Steam floated in the air spreading the scent of broth. There wasn’t a large crowd. It was apparent this wasn’t really a hotspot for couples. Tai was already beginning to like this place.

They settled at the seats at the end corner of the counter. The spot did an excellent job in helping Tai ignore the rest of the customers. Eating with Ami’s company was already stretching it.

Ami waved at the chef over the counter, “Hey, boss man. I brought my buddy Tai over. I’ll have the usual.”

“Got it. How about you sir?” the chef asked.

“I’ll have the miso ramen.”

“It’ll be right up,” the chef said.

“So, Mr. Tai, what’s your story?” Ami asked.

And there it was, the dreaded question. Couldn’t he be blissfully happy for a moment? Tai scraped the top of the wooden counter until his nail chipped. “I don’t have a story and if I did, it wouldn’t be any of your business.”

Tai had no intention of walking away from this as a joke. He wanted to maintain what little image he had built up with her. If she laughed at his situation, it would’ve been a rejection of its own. And he had enough for one night.

Ami rested her chin on her folded hands, “You’re walking alone on Christmas Eve. The only folks out here alone are those comfortable enough to be out to take advantage of deals, like moi, or those down on their luck. I mean you were angry stomping the snow and your face screams thug whenever you saw a cute couple.” Her eyes lit up like the cat that caught the canary if said cat was adamant on lecturing the canary the proper ways of flying.

He grimaced. He had been far too blatant with his increasing ire. But he couldn’t be blamed for that. Emotions came too easily to him. Anger was nice in dulling pain and tonight was turning out to be a painful night.

The chef came back with the food. He placed a steaming bowl of miso ramen in front of Tai. When he moved over to Ami, he placed a double sized bowl of tonkotsu ramen with toppings close to overflowing from the bowl.

Ami gave her thanks to the chef and dug right in. She took every bite with careful consideration and nearly swooned at every mouthful. The sight made him chuckle a bit and release some of the tension in his shoulders. Following her example, he began to dig in.

“Screw it. What do I have to lose? Besides, something tells me you aren’t going to leave me alone until I talk. There’s this girl who rejected me earlier today. I’ve been into her for I don’t know how long. It took forever to get the guts to confess. Do you want to know the best part of all? She was into my best friend. I get it; he’s a pretty boy and part of a boy band.”

He shoved the ramen down his gullet and barely tasted the food now, “There’s no way I can compare to any of that. Matt is smooth, cool, and handsome. Why would Sora choose anything less than the best?” Tai felt bile on his tongue at the admission.

Glancing over at Ami, he realized she was already drinking the remainder of her broth. He snorted in disdain, “Were you listening to word I said?” The girl was showing herself to be a bigger glutton than himself.

She wiped her mouth clean with her napkin, “Of course I was. It would be rude not to. I’ll be real here, there’s nothing wrong with this Sora girl or you. It’s Sora’s right to choose who she wants to be with no matter your feelings. But you have a right to be happy too you know? Your happiness might not be with the girl you thought it would be with.”

Ami placed a hand over his shoulder, “Don’t be bitter. It hurts like hell now, but time will make this better. Emotions are complicated and can suck sometimes, but you’ll make it through. You seem like a tough guy.”

Tai scratched his head, “Really? I find that hard to believe.” Her words sounded so foreign to him. Matt seemed so desirable in comparison to him.

She gave his shoulder a light squeeze, “You say that now, but one day you’ll appreciate this growth.”

Tai didn’t respond. He stared at the contents of his bowl before eating the rest of the ramen. Ami didn’t interrupt his pace. When he finished the last of the broth, he turned back to her, “Thanks. The food was good. Despite everything, this wasn’t so bad.” She had a way with words that set his at ease. Talking to her was like easing into a nice sofa, inviting and comfortable.

“No problem,” she said.

They rose from their seats. Ami paid the bill and said her goodbyes to the chef.

Stepping outside, a chilled wind passed through him. Tai couldn’t believe it, but he wanted to go back to the shop. The meal had nice, no more than nice. An open ear and easy smile had done a world of good for him.

“Do you have some time?” she asked.

Tai shrugged, “Sure. You listened to me whine and gave me free food, I can spare you some time.” There was desperation within him to not seem needy. What he wanted was more of the companionship, not pity. Spending more time with her could be what he needs.

She elbowed him with a playful smile on her lips, “I guess mom was right. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

They shared a little laugh. His was to cover a growing embarrassment. Ami ease with friendly touching felt more intimate than irritating now. She didn’t mean anything by it, but a growing something wanted more. 

Ami went to open her umbrella but Tai stopped her. He pushed an open hand in her direction while he stared upwards, “I can hold it. It’s got be annoying carrying it for two people, let me do my share.” Looking back, it was a shame how poorly he had spoken to her. His mom would’ve smacked him a good one with how rude he had been. Perhaps this was a poor way for him to earn points with Ami.

“Please and thank you,” she replied.

Tai held the umbrella over them. He followed her through the city streets. As they passed by the blocks, the distance between them grew smaller and smaller. Ami led him to the undeveloped part of the city. Metal gave way to snow covered trees. At the end of their trek, they reached a hill with a gentle slope.

The hill was well coated in snow. A splattering of trees broke the uniformity. At the top of the hill, one could see the majority of the city bathed in Christmas lights. It was like an ornament in the winter night.

Tai marveled at the sight.

“Pretty cool, isn’t it?” she asked. “I come here to clear my mind and vent. Give it a shoot. You’ll feel better. Here, I’ll go first.” She stepped away from him and took a deep breath. She released a loud scream. As she was huffing, she gestured for him to go up.

Tai stepped forward and screamed, “Matt looks like an emo dork! His songs are cliché as hell! I don’t even need Sora!” His heart was racing, but his smile was wider than it had been all night. The cloud of melancholy faded into the cool night as tears fell.

Ami pulled him into a soft embrace, “It feels good, doesn’t it? All those ugly feelings are part of the healing.”

He nestled into the embrace and returned it. Snow continued to fall over their figures, yet he was undeniably warm. Long had he dreamt of a moment like this, held in a tender embrace. It was not with the girl he expected, but he wasn’t disappointed. Ami had a persistent gentleness that refused to abandon him.

A soft and steady tremor ran between them. The soft tremor warped into a violent shake sending them falling apart. Dazed, Tai got back to his feet.

Ami fiddled with her googles as she rushed to her feet. Se extended her hand to Tai and he took it without preamble, “We need to get out of here.”

After her warning, she sprint into motion.Tai didn’t linger a single second. He closed the distance between them and kept pace with her.Both of them were scanning their surroundings.

“Down!” she said. Ami pushed him to the ground. It wasn’t a second too soon because a moments later the trees around them had been mysteriously cut into pieces.

Tai rolled on the ground but was able to force himself to stop. Looking at the source of the attack, he gasped. A monster who could only be a Digimon stood across from them. The Digimon had the body of a large bear with purple fur with red spike gauntlets and a white crescent moon on its forehead. It growled with a rabid intensity.

Ami made a beeline into the thicker collection of trees. The digimon followed suit.

He wiped the blood from his lips and got up with unsteady steps. Shaking away the spots in his vision, he sprinted in the direction of the confrontation. Branches of the trees brushed against his skin leaving behind cuts and bruises as he picked up his pace. At the clearing, she was goading the digimon. Snatching a piece of wood he made a beeline for the digimon, “Get away from her, you overgrown teddie bear!”

Tai leapt before the clawed gauntlet could hit him. He landed on its muscled back and had to brace himself as it tried to shake him off. Clutching the fur around the neck area, he landed blow after blow on its face. His attacks annoyed more than injured the beast and the shaking grew even more aggressive.

Despite his efforts, he couldn’t hold onto the beast. In between the wild bucking, Tai lost his grip and was flung off. He saw his trajectory leading to a thick tree. Tai closed his eyes in resignation.

I hope I bought Ami enough time to escape, he thought. He found comfort in the believe that his last moments were spent playing knight. It wasn’t a bad way to go. 

Tai’s body shook in a violent manner before he came to a stop. Surprised, he opened his eyes. He was no longer flying into the tree instead he was in the arm of a digimon. Said digimon was a dark fusion of a samurai and Wargreymon. 

“Nice catch, Samudramon! Let’s beat that Grizzlymon!” she said. Ami wiggled in Samudramon’s other arm.

Samudramon landed with unexpected grace before guiding them to the ground.

Grizzlymon snarled and bull rushed the group. Samudramon stood poised and pulled out two mighty blades, “Cross Slicer.” His blades produced two arcs of lights, forming a cross and shot towards the rampaging digimon.

Grizzlymon’s whole body was engulfed by the light and destroyed.

“Thanks. You really saved our skin, partner. You’re the best,” Ami said.

Samudramon rested on his blades, “Do you mean I’m the best partner you could ask for?”

Ami snorted, “Don’t get too swelled a head.” Her answer was spoken in a tone that carried the echoes of the same conversation repeating over and over. She spun around and smiled at Tai, “Thanks. You’re crazy, reckless, and an idiot, but you’re a brave idiot. I guess we have that in common.”

“That isn’t a good thing,” Samudramon said. They could hear the lamentation and disquiet that borne from experience. He looked at them as though they were a combination of kegs and lit matches. Disaster was all but inevitable. 

She waved off his comment, “Thanks _dad_.”

Tai held back a laugh. Adrenaline coming down, he felt nothing but pleasantness. They survived and that was all that mattered. Perhaps he would ponder the presence of a digimon or her partner, but it was not today. Today he would celebrate their teamwork and bask in the euphoria of the moment. 

“Seeing that you aren’t freaking out, I can guess you know about digimon?” she asked.

Tai nodded. He explained that he and his group of friends had digimon partners.

She released a relieved sigh, “That’s good. That would’ve been a nightmare to explain this whole thing.” She took note of the sky, “It’s late. We should be getting home.”

“I’ll walk you home… if you want,” he said. Tai stuck his hands in his pockets and stared at the sky as well. A tentative hope bubbled beneath the surface. “It’s pretty dangerous for a pretty girl to walk home alone.”

She snickered behind her covered mouth, “How gentlemanly of you. I’ll take you up on your offer.”

“I see that I’m not needed here,” Samudramon said with the certainty of a child seeing their parents flirting. He passed the umbrella to Tai and disappeared in a flash of light.

Tai opened the umbrella and offered a trembling arm to her.

Ami stepped under the umbrella and took the offer. She held his arm between hers.

She smiled at him and him at her. They shared a comfortable companionship throughout the walk. As they made their trek, they swapped some stories of their digital adventures. It was more pleasurable than he expected to share those stories with someone unrelated.

Tai lost himself in the moment and time escaped him. It wasn’t long until he was in front of an unfamiliar apartment complex. When she stepped away from him, he already began to miss the embrace. It had been pleasant.

He gazed as she patted the snow off her coat. The picturesque scene left him engrossed. Even as she did something so mundane, he found a confident femininity in her. It brought forth a soft smile to his lips.

“Thanks for today. I was pretty bummed out about the whole rejection thing. I’m sorry for being such a jerk. You took the time and effort to make my day and I want to say that meant a lot to me.”

“You’re welcome,” she said. She patted him on the shoulder once again, “You gotta stand tall and be confident.”

Tai laughed, “I’ll keep that in mind.” He closed the umbrella and presented it to her.

She didn’t take it and pushed it back towards him. Before he could question her, she stepped into his personal space. Ami lifted his chin and gently turned it aside. Her lips pressed against his cheek.

He could smell the rich scent of cinnamon coming off of her. Her lips were soft, smooth, and warm against his chilled cheek. Traces of her lip gloss smeared and marked the occasion alongside his racing heart and tightening lungs. This was unbelievable. This was the greatest. 

Ami pulled away from him with a coy smile, “You need it more. Remember to return it the next time we meet.”

Dazed, he nodded as she waved goodbye and disappeared into the complex. It took a second to return to his senses. Something had been slipped into his hand. It was a note with a number circled and a message that read ‘call me’.

Tai walked back home with light steps and a goofy smile on his face. He wanted to cheer loud enough for the whole city to hear.

Tonight had been great. And Ami was better.


	2. Chapter 2

Tai was filled with a nervous energy as he lounged around the house phone. Staring at the phone was slipping him further and further into a mild panic. His anxiety caused him to ignore just about everything around him.

This included his little sister Kari who sported a smile of mischief. She lounged as sedate as a cat on the couch with some tv special running in the background. It was her sibling duty to tease her fretting brother. Tai’s current behavior was still an improvement from his dispirited funk that he had lingered in before. Pushing and prodding hadn’t caused him to reveal the source, so she had to sit back and watch her brother grow fouler by the day.

Now that he was in a better mood, she couldn’t hold back her natural instincts to embarrass him. Kari smiled a smile that would’ve told Tai to leave the house if he had been paying any attention to her.

“Thinking of a certain someone, brother?” she said in a singsong voice. Her smile widened when his expression grew panicked. This was going to be good.

“What? No way. Why would you ask that?” his denial was too quick. Tai cringed hearing his voice.

“Why you ask?” she replied in mock confusion, “One, you’re sighing longingly. Two, you haven’t done anything for the past hour besides fidget around the phone. And three, you forgot to wipe the kiss mark on your cheek when you came home that time.”

Tai’s red faced spluttering was confirmation of Kari’s victory.

“That’s enough. I get it, you’re right. I might have met someone that night. I… have her number but I don’t know if I should call her. I don’t want to bother her if she was just pitying me, you know? For all I know it might not even be a real number,” he admitted in a soft tone.

Kari frowned at her brother’s resigned voice. “Did that girl seem like that much or a jerk to you? Or are you just scared?”

He shot her a heated glare, “I’m not scared. I’ll call her no problem.” Tai picked up the phone with false bravado and dialed the number that he had memorized by that point. The ringing pounded against his ears and he felt unbalanced.

“Hello,” a familiar soft voice answered. It was as nice as he remembered.

“Ah,” he choked out before swallowing thickly. Embarrassment grew rampant on his face as he looked away from Kari’s smug expression, “Hey. This is Tai. I don’t know if you remember because it was a while ago. I mean a lot could’ve happen by then, but-”

A mirthful laugh cut him off, “I remember you, Tai. Do you need anything?” Her question was gentle and coaxing, confirming that he hadn’t earned her annoyance. Ami awaited his response.

Even with the gentle patience, he grew increasingly nervous and sped his words through, “I need to give you back your umbrella! When is a good time for you!? Afterwards we could hang out, but only if you want to!”

“That sounds great,” she said. Ami suggested a time and location for them to meet up.

“Great! See you then,” he said as he hung up. A large goofy smile refused to leave his face even as he sighed in relief.

“Smooth,” Kari said with a snort.

“Shut up. I have everything under control,” he grumbled with crossed arms.

“Not if you’re fumbling over your words like you just did. I can feel the second hand embarrassment from here.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” he groused.

…

Ami was smiling in excitement as she hung up the phone. There was so much for her to do. Since her partner in crime had been too nervous to make any meaningful suggestions, she had free rein to get everything together. It was a shame that he was too worried about goofing things up.

“Was it that brat you met when going for ramen?” A disappassionate gruff voice questioned. It was Labramon a Digimon that looked like a predominantly white Earth dog with purplish fur on his tail, ears, and markings beneath his eyes.

He had actually diverted his attention from the laptop and the plate of prepared snacks to question Ami. By the look of his eyes, he was wholly unimpressed with her associating with the boy he considered a troublesome nuisance.

Having heard his complaints many times over, Ami huffed, “I thought I told you to be nice. I think Tai’s cute if nothing else.”

Labramon clicked his tongue at her, “So it’s hormones, you poor human. Still, you can do better. I’ve heard enough about your little outing. That Tai brat is a mess and you shouldn’t be wasting your time on him.”

“I’ll admit he has his baggage, but he’s a decent guy. You got to be that much to protect someone from a Digimon without your own partner beside you. Besides, I’ll get a better understanding of him from our date. That’s kind of the purpose, you know?” she said with a frown at his attitude.

He rolled his eyes, “You play around too much.”

Ami cracked a smile in defiance, “Nope. Fun is the spice of life. You should give it a try. All that stress can’t be good for you. Take a break or you won’t get anything done anyway.”

Labramon returned his attention to the laptop, “Do you even have time for all of this?”

She sobered at his tone, “What do you mean?”

“All sorts of portals have been opening up over Japan. It’s only a matter of time before a serious threat comes through instead of the pushovers we’ve been encountering,” he said after taking a quick scan of the data.

She bit her lip, “That is a concern. The guys have their hands full trying to stop anything too crazy happening to the city. Do we have any idea what are causing the portals?”

“No,” Labramon admitted with frustration. “Even the Digimon back in the Digital World barely know what’s happening.”

Ami picked him up and gave him a comforting hug, “It’s okay. I know that all of us together will figure something out eventually. Don’t beat yourself over it. We’re the dream team after all.”

He grinned against his best efforts, “Perhaps you’re wiser than you appear.”

“Don’t you forget it,” she replied in jest, pleased with Labramon’s improved mood.

…

Tai stood with his back against a pillar as he waited for Ami to show up. His eyes wandered to the different couples he saw going about their business. The look in his eyes was a stark difference to how he had been on the night he first met Ami. There was no longer a deep sense of resentment towards the people’s happiness but instead a kind of longing. He wistfully imagined Ami around his arm with bright eyes. That would’ve been nice.

Now that he looked back with a clearer mind, he felt especially embarrassed about the tantrum he had been throwing. It hadn’t been the responsibility of any of the people he had bothered to be miserable just because he had been. Man was he petty.

Now he had other concerns to deal with. This outing was wearing his nerves thin. Tai gripped Ami’s umbrella in anxiety. Would she even show up? It was him he was talking about, just Tai. He lacked the charms and charisma that Matt had in waves. Sora hadn’t been too impressed with him so why should Ami?

This was all starting to feel like one big mistake. He should save himself the embarrassment and call this whole thing off and apologize for wasting her time. A knot of disappointment and frustration welled in the pit of his stomach at the mere thought of running.

Even if she did show up, he was guaranteed to mess this up. Even someone with Ami’s patience would be fed up with his Tai-ness. That seemed to be his strong point as of late. Deep down he understood just how much he wanted to make it through the day without chasing her away.

“There you are Tai!” said a cheerful voice, breaking him from his thoughts.

Tai looked up and saw Ami making her way towards him. Ami strolled through the snow as though she was some snow woman, totally at ease and at home in the sharp chill. She swayed gently through the crowds with a warm smile creeping on her features as she got closer to him.

Tai’s eyes ran over her full figure in appreciation. She wore a dark jacket over a green blouse with a checkered red skirt. Boots that nearly reached her knees covered her dark tights. A fluffy cap sat comfortably on her head alongside with a white scarf wrapped around her neck.

Not far behind her was a rather fluffy looking dog that actually wore Ami’s goggles. It would’ve been cute if not for the glare he was sure the dog was shooting his direction. Well, it looked like even pets knew where he stood in the way of things. It wouldn’t take Ami long to follow suit since she seemed like a girl with a good head on her shoulders.

“Sorry for the wait,” she apologized when she finally reached him.

“It’s fine. I wasn’t here long,” he waved her away. Just seeing how downright adorable she was worth the wait.

“So? How do I look?” she spun around make her scarf and skirt flutter with the falling snow, giving her a near majestic presence.

“You look amazing,” his voice nearly cracked in awe. Tai’s gaze wandered all over her appearance again. She was just as beautiful as he remembered that first night. It felt like a silly question for her to ask. He couldn’t imagine her as being anything less than mesmerizing.

When his eyes met hers and saw the mirthful glow to them, he looked away in a futile attempt to keep his heart under control. A look like that shouldn’t be allowed on a girl that appealing. Tai couldn’t remember Sora ever giving him a look like that. He couldn’t quite figure out the source of the look but he wouldn’t mind getting lost in those eyes.

“You look pretty handsome yourself,” she complimented after giving him a once over.

It was a simple compliment, but he felt utterly flattered, “T-Thanks.” A sense of vertigo hit him like a speeding truck. He had been unprepared for that response. Tai tried to control his giddiness and fumbled to pass over her umbrella, “Here.”

Ami laughed in that kind way that told him she was charmed and not mocking him, “Thank you. So do you have any idea what we could do?”

Tai’s eyes widened as his skin paled in realization. How could he have forgotten to plan anything? Here he was talking about not making a complete idiot of himself and look where he was. If he could go back in time, he would deck himself in the face. What was he even doing? Did he just want to prove how lost he was?

“Tai?” she questioned in a soft soothing tone. Ami placed a calming hand on his arm as she got him to look her back in the eyes. “It’s ok. I figured you might’ve forgotten so I was poking a little fun at you. I’m sorry if you thought I was upset. Just calm down a bit, I’m not that scary am I?”

Her dog snorted of all things and made a barking noise that sounded a lot like ‘useless’. Ami actually shot a hot glare at her dog. Bending down she flicked its floppy ear and ordered, “Go take a walk. You’ll be bored.”

The dog snorted but dipped its head in understanding and faded into the crowds.

Ami flashed him a smile that calmed him down enough to follow her to wherever she had decided to go. No matter where it was, he was going to do his best to make sure she had a good time. That was the least he could do. Still he couldn’t believe that he not only failed to pick a location, he had frozen up the moment he had been surprised. He needed to get a grip!

Ami led him to a rather large and popular ice rink. A steady stream of people was going in and out of the building.

“Do you like ice skating?” Tai attempted to chat her up and learn more about her. With how energetic she was, it didn’t come as a surprise.

“I have no idea. I never tried,” she said with a confidence that threw him off.

That hadn’t been what he expected.

Noticing his look, she shrugged, “I thought it would be fun to try.”

They went to the front desk and picked up some skates and paid for their time there.

Ami’s unstable stance on the skates wasn’t very promising of things to come. Still, she was happy and that counted for everything.

The ice rink ahead of them had people of all skill levels skating, some strolled as couples and others were performing tricks like professionals. When some of those skillful players skated past them, he could nearly see her eyes sparkle in delight. As cute as she looked, he felt nothing but a swell of concern.

“Come on, Tai. Let’s get in on the action!” she sprinted onto the ice with the confidence of an expert. Unfortunately, that was the only thing she shared with experts. Once her skates touched the ice she fell face first to the ground. 

Panicked, Tai went to her side and pulled her up while preparing for the tears. To his relief she neither cried nor seemed injured instead she looked slightly embarrassed.

“I guess I deserved that. Well at least it’s an interesting way to start a date,” she chuckled.

“Well I give you an A for effort,” he tentatively joked. Tai put his arms towards her, “Here, I’ll support you. Let’s go a little slower this time.”

Ami flashed him a smile full of gratitude and used his arm as support. The close proximity allowed him to inhale the rich chocolate scent coming off her. It was as comforting as snuggling to a fire with a cup of cocoa in his hands. Tai returned the smile.

Tai played the role of escort and caught her before every one of her near falls. No matter the number of near tumbles, her smile never wavered.

It was an enjoyable experience. What wasn’t there to like? Here he was with a lively and attractive girl clinging onto him. Even as he reveled in the attention, he took his role as escort seriously. Tai grabbed Ami just in time from her latest bold attempt in emulating the more skilled skaters.

A few of the surrounding couples chuckled at her efforts. Tai felt insulted on her behalf. It was none of their business. Those jerks were getting a kick out of her earnest effort. “Why don’t we take a break?” He suggested in the hopes of removing her from the laughter.

The mirth never left her expression. She tapped his arm to ease his nerves, “It’s fine, Tai.”

“Why are you so ok with them laughing at you?” he whispered. Tai kept his eyes on hers to detect any overt signs of discomfort.

“Why should it?” she said with clear eyes and an ease that he could only envy. “If I worried about failure or everyone’s thoughts on said failures, then I would never get to do anything. So yeah, I’m making a fool of myself, but I’m having fun with you. I don’t want stop enjoying life because I’m paralyzed by doubt and fear. Sometimes you just have to move forward.”

“That’s very brave of you,” he said in awe.

Ami gave him an easy shrug, “Anyone could do it.”

Tai disagreed vehemently, “Not just anyone. You’re amazing.” He could learn a thing or two from her about courage.

She looked cute when she grew flustered at his naked compliment. He hoped to see it many more times in the future.

They enjoyed the rest of their time at the rink with little concern for their appearance. Things got a lot more enjoyable when he stopped paying mind to the spectators. Ami made some real progress by the end of their visit. She could almost make a whole lap without assistance. Although, he didn’t mind keeping close, just in case.

Tai looked forward to coming here again, hopefully with her. Spending time with her turned out to be less stressful then he had expected. She hadn’t once looked bored or annoyed with him. It was a major weight off his shoulders.

Now he was walking beside a happily flushed Ami. Even though they were no longer skating, she still borrowed his arm and he was happy to oblige. His other arm was holding the umbrella that shielded them from the steady snowfall. A few flakes fluttered onto her head that emphasized her lustrous hair. Tai was staring at her hard, paying little attention to the path before them.

Ami caught him staring and by her smile she liked his gaze. She brushed some of her hair to the side and tightened her grip on his arm, “I had a lot of fun today. We have to meet up again.”

“S-Sure,” he tripped over his reply. The blatant invitation for a second date left him excited. It still amazed him that she was actually into him of all people.

Their scenic walk allowed them to enjoy the snow covered landscape. They were surrounded by a frost decorated environment. Perhaps it was the company with him, but everything looked majestic and welcoming. Tai felt warm despite the biting cold.

During the walk, they passed by a snow covered field.

“It’s the field. I used to play soccer with the other kids all the time back in elementary school,” he explained. Tai stopped by the open gate. When he saw a lone ball sitting near the gate, he looked at her hopefully.

“Sure,” she said and let his arm go and put up the umbrella.

Tai dribbled through the snow, unbothered by the hindrance. He kicked the ball upwards and began juggling it between his legs over his head. When he noticed the impressed look in Ami’s face, he started more elaborate tricks.

Ami applauded throughout it all, “You’re pretty good. Do you want to be a pro when you get older?”

Pride entered his chest from her compliment, “Not really. It’s just a hobby.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. It would be pretty cool to say that I know a pro and get a free show. Besides, I think you could go far with it,” she said.

Tai had the sudden desire to renew his efforts in soccer, especially if it impressed her so much. 

“Want to try some?” he asked as he passed the ball over to her.

Ami shot him a teasing look, “You’re cute, Tai but I’m not going to give you a show.”

Tai wanted to smack his head. Of course she couldn’t do any fancy tricks in a skirt. It looked a lot shorter than he remembered now that he eyed it. He flushed as his eyes lingered on her legs and skirt.

“Eyes above the neck, boy,” Labramon scolded. There was a threat in its voice. It bared its fangs his way. They were looking especially sharp.

Tai had nearly forgotten that her Digimon had been following them. It had been surprised when he found out it wasn’t a simple dog. He felt like they were being chaperoned by a protective big brother.

He spluttered, “I wasn’t trying to be a creep or anything.”

Ami waved him off, “It’s alright Tai. I know you didn’t mean anything by that. Calm down.”

Hearing her amusement, he sighed in relief. He had to watch what he said. What would’ve he done if he left her with the impression that he was some pervert. It had only taken a few moments to nearly screw up a perfect outing. 

Ami began to pass the ball over to him. He dribbled it around for a bit and played a bit of back and forth with her. It was a simple little game. To his surprise, he didn’t feel a hint of competition clouding his mind. Whenever soccer came into the picture, he got tunnel vision and had an immense need to show up his competition. But now, he was just enjoying the game for what it was. Soccer hadn’t been this soothing in a long time.

“Do you play any sports?” he asked after passing the ball her way.

“I’m part of the track team. It helps with my part time job since I end up running all over the city,” she said.

“Part time? What do you do?” he asked.

“I’m part of a detective agency. It’s pretty cool. You won’t believe the kind of things I get into. Next time you have a problem, check us out. I’ll even get you a discount for being so cute,” she winked at him.

Tai blushed at her open flirting, ”You look good too.” His voice came out a lot more terse than he wanted. He had been shooting for cool and in control.

“I’m sorry if I’m making you uncomfortable,” she said when she noticed his tone.

He shook his head, “You aren’t. It’s just I can’t get over the fact that someone so beautiful wants to give me the time of day. I’m just taking it all in.”

She was totally out of his league as far as he was concerned. When he said she looked beautiful, it wasn’t just an empty compliment. With her radiant hair and bright smile, she could have anyone she wanted. It was unbelievable that all of that was pointing in his direction even if it was just for a single outing. The attention made him believe that something more could grow from all of this.

But, hadn’t he thought the same thing with Sora? This could just be the case of him seeing what he wanted to see.

“Tai?” she called out in a soft voice tinged in concern. Ami came to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder in support, “Is everything alright? You look like you were panicking. Was it something I did?”

Tai burned in mortification. He was so pathetic. The mere thought of Sora’s rejection knocked him off kilter. A reluctance filled him, he didn’t want to whine to Ami about Sora anymore. But, he had to say something.

To his immense relief, he caught something in his peripheral, “We have company.”

“Coward,” sneered Labramon.

He fought down his flinch. Tai agreed with Labramon.

Crossing by the gate were two of his friends Izzy and Joe. Joe was lumbering with the weight of a bulging bag. Noticing Tai, they gestured to him but froze. They realized that Tai was well dressed alongside a girl they’ve never seen before. 

“We’ve been trying to find you. You hadn’t answered any of our calls,” Izzy explained.

Joe smiled in apology and gave an half bow in Ami’s direction, “We didn’t mean to interrupt. We can talk with Tai later.”

Their attempts to leave was halted when Joe’s bag burst open. A trio of In-Training Digimon fell onto the snow in a jumble. The first to extract themself from the pile was a pink blob with expressive eyes and a wide smile, “Tai!”

Ami blinked in surprise when the blob failed to reach Tai and fell into her arms. Her surprise melted away to cooing, “You’re such a cutie.” She proceeded to rub her cheek against its own.

“You’ve seen plenty of Koromon,” chided Labramon.

“It doesn’t change how cute he is,” replied Ami.

Izzy and Joe were wide eyed at Labramon.

Joe pointed at Labramon, “Your dog just talked. Your dog is a Digimon!”

“Hey guys. This is my friend Ami. We were hanging out,’ he said as his nerves kicked in. He cringed at how lame he sounded. Tai had been aiming for a casual confidence and utterly failed. Looking through the corner of his eyes, he saw that Ami wasn’t bothered.

If anything she was amused at his explanation. Catching his eye, she winked at him and relished the sight of his blushing.

Ami turned her attention towards his friends, “You must be Izzy and Joe. Tai has told me so much about you guys. It’s great to meet you two in person.”

Joe and Izzy looked at the embarrassed Tai and then each other. Though surprised, they returned her warm greetings.

Ami snapped her fingers in realization, “Since you guys are here already, why don’t you join us for a meal? I know a place with a great group deal for some Sukiyaki. It’s great on a snowy day. What do you say?”

Izzy eyed Tai, “Is that fine? We wouldn’t want to intrude.”

Tai flashed an easy grin. It was a smile that they hadn’t seen their leader use in some time. He looked like he could take on the world, just like he did in their first adventure, “Sure.”

“Away we go!” Ami said.

“Yeah!” most of the Digimon cried in excitement.

Ami led the group to the desired restaurant. A steady traffic of patrons was coming and going. Upon entry, the warmth of the food melted the chilling cold that settled in their bones. A strong aroma of cooked meats and fresh vegetables engulfed them and whet their appetites.

The waiter, an older man with deep wrinkles around his eyes from laughter and graying hair greeted them. Ami stepped up and chatted him up. From the dialogue, Ami was a very frequent visitor. The waiter guided them to their seats.

Ami took the seat by the window and Tai sat beside her while Izzy and Joe sat across the table from them. Their Digimon partners sat on the wide table and buzzed in excitement for the meal. Only Labramon sat on his partner’s lap and acted with any sort of self-control.

Digging in her purse, Ami took out a coupon and passed it to the waiter and order a table portion of Sukiyaki.

“Tell the chef to stuff as much meat as he can get away with, Taiyou,” Ami coaxed their server.

“Sure! We’ll see if we can add some meat on those bones. There’s nothing healthier than a girl with an appetite. Who cares if you add on the pounds,” Taiyou praised.

She puffed up her chest in pride, “Don’t worry about that. The pounds just melt away from me.”

“That’s the spirit. Let me get your food ready,” he left with a hearty laugh.

“You guys are going to love the food here. I come here all the time!” she boasted.

“You keep yourself busy,” Tai said in mirth.

She smacked him playfully on the arm, “Well if all these restaurants didn’t have such amazing food, I wouldn’t have to spend so much time and money eating. Besides, I thought you liked the ramen.”

“I can’t deny that,” he said in reminiscence. The ramen that day had been delicious, but the company had been far more memorable. Unbeknownst to him, a soft smile spread on his lips.

Izzy and Joe watched their interaction with much amazement. This Tai was at ease, at least more than he had been for quite a while. They watched in silence as the pair fell into playful conversation.

When their food arrived, they were engulfed in the rich scent of meats and broth. The Sukiyaki nearly glistened in the light and their stomachs growled in demand for the food. The Digimon, besides Labramon, nearly jumped at the food before their partners restrained them.

Ami set aside a bowl for Labramon, which it ate at leisure. As everyone else dug into their own portion, Ami was lost in the marvels of the flavors. She hummed in satisfaction at the use of spices, the doneness of the meat and even the texture of the vegetables. Her eyes sparkled like gems as she withheld grateful tears.

Tai felt secondhand pleasure seeing her enjoy her meal so much. It was the simple stuff that spurred the greatest reaction from her and he loved it. He was tempted to pinch her full cheeks. Even deep in his admiration for her good cheer, he was aware of the questioning looks of his friends and explained, “Don’t worry, she does this sometimes. It’s pretty cool how excitable she is, right?”

Joe chuckled lightly, “You two must have a lot of fun together.”

“R-Really?” Tai asked as a sudden shyness overtook him. Looking back, it had been pretty fun.

Ami finally pulled herself away from the meal with an embarrassed look, “Sorry about that. I got lost in the moment. So Izzy, I heard you’re the brains of the group.”

Izzy looked at Tai with an almost smug expression, “I’ve been known to excel in technology. I like to think I’ve helped the team once or twice.”

“That’s so cool. I could never understand all that technobabble. The brains of my group can be a grump so it’s a pain asking him anything. Though to be fair, he has tried. He tends to lose patience after explaining something seven times,” she laughed in good nature with no hints of bitterness.

“Oh,” Izzy said in interest, “you have someone proficient in technology in your team?”

“Yep, we leave all that stuff to Arata. Well, he’s more of a hacker than anything. He’s saved our necks way too many times to count. The other members of the team are Nokia, Yuuko and Yuugo if you were curious,” she explained.

Izzy rubbed his chin, “I wasn’t even aware of any Digidestined so close to us. Would any of you happen to have a crest?”

Ami furrowed her brow and shook her head, “The partnerships in our team are much more informal. Arata has even worked with some Digimon and gone separate ways before. I’m kind of jealous that your partners are destined. It makes it sound so mystical and unbreakable, you know? I could really screw up the relationship with my partner.”

“Do not dismiss the bond you share with your Digimon. Ours is a bond forged in the fires of circumstance and time and I speak for all of us when I say that none of us will willingly turn our backs on you, crest or no crest,” Labramon interjected in a firm and assured voice. His eyes dared her to argue.

Ami hugged it close to her, “Thanks buddy. That means a lot to me.”

The rest smiled at their interaction, recognizing their bond being no less than any of theirs. The conversation became far more casual from there. Tai smiled in appreciation at the ease in which Ami conversed with his friends. She weaved her appreciation of Izzy’s intelligence while seemingly able to be flexible with Joe’s concern. He saw the mark of leadership in her with her ability to work with different personalities. This was a set of skills that he was sorely missing.

Ami’s goggles that sat on top of her partner’s head suddenly rang. It broke his thoughts and he turned to her in curiosity. With practiced ease, she peered through the goggles and clicked her teeth. 

“A portal to the digital world has just appeared,” she said in haste.

That got the rest of them on high alert. They quickly paid the bill and took their leave. The group dashed out of there like the hounds of hell were on their heels.

Following Ami’s lead, they raced through the snow to an abandoned factory. It was the type of factory used for heavy construction. A cluster of dilapidated building surrounded a center with unstable looking giant cranes. The cranes were connected by a system of pillars that led to a control system atop twisting sets of stairs. No sooner did they step in did they get bombarded with a great heat wave. It was so intense that they could hardly believe it was winter just outside. Sweat rolled off their bodies.

Loud banging echoed the area, rattling their bodies. The Digimon digivolved into their rookie forms and followed the sound of the banging. Near the edge of the clearing was a huge metallic form facing away from them bringing down a heavy hammer over some metal. Sparks were flying everywhere. A great and steady flame poured out of its chest.

Izzy’s scanner identified the figure as Vulcanusmon.

Vulcanusmon stopped and turned towards them with piercing displeased eyes. “I have nothing here for the likes of you! I will make you no weapons!” he roared with a voice that rang in their ears.

Tai stood in front of the group and glared back at the Digimon, “We don’t want any of your stupid weapons. You’re being a nuisance, get your butt back to the digital world.”

Vulcanusmon growled and rose to full height. The anger was as evident as the flames spilling from his chest mounted cannon.

Ami rose her hands in placation, “What my friend means is that we aren’t here to take your weapons from you or make you work for us. We believe it would be best for you to leave the human world. You kind of stick out.”

His growling lowered, “Digimon distract me from my art. I’m finished talking. Leave here if you want to remain in one piece.”

“We can’t really do that,” she began, “how about we-”

“Leave!” he roared in full force. Vulcanusmon ripped a nearby iron pillar and threw it at them.

Light wrapped around Ami and Tai’s partners as they began to warp digivolve.

“Get down!” Tai yelled as the pillar came their way. He pushed the rest of the group down and laid on top of them to shield them from incoming impact.

When the pillar made contact, it kicked a mass of dust and debris. Fortunately, none of them were injured as Wargreymon stood firm with his shield out, crushing the pillar in the process.

Anubismon, the mega form of Labramon, flapped his wings and blew the smoke away. He rose into the air and pulled back his leg and kicked the pillar right back at Vulcanusmon then followed right behind the pillar. 

Vulcanusmon pulled out a machine gun and fired at the incoming pillar and Digimon. While the barrage ripped the pillar to pieces, it failed to hit Anubismon as said Digimon spun around and kicked the gun out of Vulcanusmon’s hands.

Anubismon took the offending arm and twisted it harshly before throwing Vulcanusmon to the ground as craters formed from the power behind the throw.

Before Anubismon could further the assault, Vulcanusmon pulled out a barbed whip and wrapped it around Anubismon’s leg. Winds picked up as he flung Anubismon to the ground, returning the favor.

During the assault, Wargreymon made a mad dash towards the battle. Unleashing the claws from its gauntlet, he swiped at the case protecting Vulcanusmon’s head. The strike was then hindered by the massive war hammer, whose collision sent sparks flying. Undeterred, he used the shield to deflect a blow coming going for the head. The blow rattled his body and nearly sent him flying back at the humans.

Anubismon took advantage of Wargreymon’s distraction to rip through the whip with sharpened claws. Leaping at Vulcanusmon, he pulled them into aerial battle and relieved Wargreymon from the onslaught.

“They could use some help,” Joe said.

“Right,” Izzy agreed with a nod.

They rose their digivices, filling their partners with power. The rookie Digimon were now Ikkakumon and Kabuterimon.

Dipping his head down, Ikkakumon shot Harpoon torpedoes at Vulcanusmon. That eased the pressure on the mega level allies, though it didn’t offer much in the way of stopping power. The attacks were more distractions than anything.

Kabuterimon followed suit with continual Electro Shockers. The electrical attacks surged around Vulcanusmon. He took great care not to hinder the movement and assault of Anubismon and Wargreymon.

Growing weary of the attacks of the champion level Digimon, Vulcanusmon turned towards them and lunged forward. His eyes were clouded with a rage and indignation that such low level Digimon would dare to even enter the battle.

Wargreymon blindsided the lunge and plunged his gauntlets into the armored thigh. Pleased by the rough intake of breath by Vulcanusmon, he twisted the blade around to get a better hold and possibly rip the limb right off. When resistance proved too great, he opted to toss Vulcanusmon backwards towards Anubismon.

Above Anubismon was a portal ripping through reality. Through the use of the ability Amemit, he was able to forcefully rip a portal to the Dark Area, a malicious digital dimension. Darkness spilled out from the portal like a putrid river. Anubismon had the composure of a regal king calling for the execution of a criminal, cold and indifferent, “You will pay for daring to so much as glare in Ami’s direction. May your body be crushed!” From the depths of the portal a demonic hand broke through and smashed Vulcanusmon into the ground over and over with the same care one had for an unsightly insect. Anubismon’s expression grew more and more vindictive.

Unsettled as they were, Izzy and Joe had enough presence of mind to take the opportunity to push their Digimon to the next level. Champions were a liability at this point. The champions digivolved into the ultimate level Digimon Zudomon and Megakabuterimon.

No sooner had the light of digivolution died down, Zudomon dived into the fray, no longer satisfied at staying long distance.

Ami sucked her teeth at the development. They now had a weaker close range combatant instead of two distance attackers. Not only did their two megas have to watch out for Zudomon, but now they had one less Digimon to protect the far more vulnerable humans.

Vulcanusmon scoffed at the incoming Zudomon and easily dodged the incoming hammer strike. With the use of Appropriate Works, he created five spears and threw them right passed Zudomon.

Megakabuterimon channeled Electro Shocker within his hands and desperately diverted the lances that aimed for the group’s human partners. To his surprise two of the lances were never aimed at the humans but himself. One lance pierced a wing and the other the opposing shoulder, pinning him to the ground. He cried out in agony.

Izzy ran for to his fallen partner, “Are you alright?” He was in near tears from just seeing the painful wounds of his friend’s body. Though he knew it was fruitless, he tried to pulling the lances from their embedded positions.

Ami gritted her teeth, this was going to spiral fast. If the megas had to focus on defending them, they would be at a major disadvantage. Worst of all, they had no frame of reference for the scope of weaponry available to Vulcanusmon. They needed to tip the balance firmly in their favor. She did a visual sweep of the battlefield and zeroed in on the cranes.

Meanwhile, Zudomon growled at the sight of Megakabuterimon’s injuries. He had gotten caught up in the moment and his friend paid for it. That would not be in vain. With renewed vigor, he used Vulcan’s Hammer to strike with his hammer filled with electricity.

In return, Vulcanusmon stroke with its own hammer. The disparity of strength was evident as it knocked the hammer clear out of Zudomon’s hands. Capitalizing on the opportunity, it pushed the hammer forward.

Zudomon’s body shook from the strength of the blow. Hissing through the pain, he held firm. Strong arms held onto the offending limb while smirking, “Got you now!”

“Good job,” Wargreymon said. Performing Great Tornado, he spun so quickly that he created a tornado and launched it towards Vulcanusmon. The winds were like a great sword that slammed into the glass covering Vulcanusmon’s head. Fissures formed on the surface.

Anubismon remained in the air and raised both hands to the sky to make use of Amemit. The putrid darkness began piercing through reality.

Vulcanusmon turned towards the Anubismon and used Bomber Art to unleash great flames from the front cannon. The temperature of the area rose yet again and came with such ferocity that he shot the demonic hand right back into the portal. The resulting explosion blew Anubismon backwards. 

Wargreymon was in the midst of collecting energy for Terra Force. The dense mass of high temperature energy stood above like a miniature star. Its heat was no less than Vulcanusmon’s own flames.

Before further energy could be collected, Vulcanusmon threw the war hammer and struck Wargreymon in the chest knocking the Digimon to the ground. He also flung Zudomon at the same time. With the liberal use of Appropriate Works, he was now prepared for a prolonged fight.

Zudomon crashed into Megakabuterimon. Both groaned in collective pain.

Ami firmed her resolve when she saw the control center up a trail of stairs off the side. Sprinting as best as she could with her current outfit, she made for the stairs.

Tai turned to his friends, “I’m following her. It looks like she has a plan and she might need help. You two good?”

“That would be best. Things are hectic already without one of us getting hurt,” Joe said.

“We’ll try to hold down the fort. I hope whatever she’s planning works. Anubismon and Wargreymon can’t cover everyone at this rate,” Izzy agreed.

Assured of their condition, he ran after Ami. His steps were wild and vast, so he was able to easily catch up to her. Together they ran up the stairs that lead to a walkway that ended at a large metal door.

The door was wide enough to fit the two of them at once with a rusted handle. As a matter of fact, the whole door was heavily rusted, the once bright red was now dim from weathering. When Ami pulled at the door it didn’t budge an inch.

“Stand back,” he said. When she moved aside, he clenched his teeth and rammed the door with his shoulder. With an unnerving screech, it moved a bit. Tai collected himself and repeated his actions three more times until he fell through the now open door.

“You alright?” she said in concern and came to his side, helping him up to his feet.

With a wheeze of effort, he rubbed his aching shoulder, “I’m fine.” Better him than her as far as he was concern. It would be travesty to see her abuse herself when he had the strength to carry the burden.

She had a look of appreciation mixed with concern. Her eyes said clearer than words that she wasn’t convinced but the situation called for her attention. Turning to the console she tapped the buttons but nothing happened. But she didn’t look nearly as disheartened as expected. Stepping back, she rose her hand in front of her as electricity formed at her fingertips. The console came to life and she clenched her fist in triumph. When she noticed his shocked expression, she winked at him, “I have my talents. Now we just need a way to get that Digimon under the cranes.”

“I got it,” Tai snapped his fingers. He picked up one of the pipes on the ground. Without a second of doubt, he smashed the window in front of the panel and went through the opening to stand on the metal railway that connected the room to the different cranes.

Ami reached out to him, “What are you doing? That’s way too dangerous. Wargreymon won’t have time to watch out for you.”

Tai went forward anyway. Beneath his feet he could see the Digimon fighting. Things were looking pretty bad. Sometime during their escapade, Zudomon and Megakabuterimon had dropped back to their rookie forms. Izzy and Joe were dragging their unconscious forms away. Wargreymon and Anubismon were weaving around in the air dodging Vulcanusmon’s firearms. 

He took slow steady steps. One misstep would have him falling through the gaps. The rust had eaten away some of the portions of the railway and he had to keep upmost focus on those regions lest he fell. At the end of the railway was a loose and elevated hook that these kind of cranes typically used. Tai did his best to not look down and worked through the pounding of his heart in his chest. His mom would have screamed her head off if she ever saw this, but he’d done worst in the digital world. At the end of the path, he picked up the hook and wrapped it around his waist and held the rusted pipe in his hands so tight that his knuckles were white. Taking a breath, he took a jump. He could just about hear Ami’s gasp.

Tai fell far faster than he expected. Everything in his vision was a blur of movement and he fought to hold back a scream. The weightlessness made his stomach turn worse than any rollercoaster. When the ground came closer and closer he realized a problem. He wasn’t a 100% sure about the length of the hook. Without much thought and panicking running through his veins, the held the wire in his hands. Pain burned like an explosion in his hand. The friction burned like acid and he nearly let go from the pain alone. He could feel the wire ripping through his hand and he let go from the pain, fortunately he had slowed enough to tumble relatively safely to the ground. Tai thanked the heavens that he hadn’t stabbed himself with the pipe. That would’ve been a painful way to go.

Picking himself up, he ran to the nearest pillar and pounded it with the pipe. A loud ring echoed around them. Tai swung at the pillars like a madman that held a lifetime grudge. When he saw the mega levels turning his direction, he yelled, “Hey bubble head, you couldn’t hurt a rookie with your third rate arts and crafts!”

It was almost fascinating to see how stormy Vulcanusmon’s expression could get. A scream of unyielding rage sprang from his throat. Disregarding his opponents, he nearly flung himself Tai’s way.

“What are you doing? Get out of the way,” Wargreymon pleaded before racing after Vulcanusmon in desperation.

“Fool,” Anubismon rebuked. Despite the dismissive words, he chased after the others with the same urgency.

Seeing the enraged Digimon coming his way, Tai swallowed down his fear and doubled his glare. Spinning around, he ran towards the body of cranes hanging overhead. A large shadow obscured his view and he put his everything in outrunning it.

Vulcanusmon reached out towards Tai, his fingers brushing against the collar of his jacket. Just before it could snatch Tai and commence his revenge, a unexpected and overpowering force exerted over him, freezing him for a split second. A second that made all the difference.

The cranes above came to life and wildly spun at Vulcanusmon’s direction. Each crane collided against the Digimon and knocked him off its feet. While it didn’t cause much damage, the nuisance of it was much like a swarm of misquotes. Over and over the crane slammed debris or hooks against him.

Wargreymon flew to the air and prepared another Terra Force. Heat swelled above as the sphere of energy grew larger.

Vulcanusmon noticed the increased temperature and looked upon Wargreymon. He had no plans on allowing any sort of reprieve for a counterattack. Rising to full height, he aimed his weaponry to drop Wargreymon to the ground and delete the nuisance once and for all.

Anubismon had disrupted Vulcanusmon’s aim and countered with his own power. With the use of Pyramid Power, he drew a square pyramid with beams of light and imprisoned Vulcanusmon within in. The secret Egyptian formulas held true even as Vulcanusmon grew irate and attacked every corner of the cage. Cracks formed but the prison did its duty.

For the delay was enough for Wargreymon to fully form the attack. Bending back, he flung the attack with all of his power. Much like a speeding bullet, it cut the air and spun threateningly. Just before the Terra Force collided with the barrier, Pyramid Power faded from existence and the full wrath of Wargreymon descended on Vulcanusmon.

A blinding light expanded from the collision and engulfed everything, making the humans turn away. When the light subsided, Vulcanusmon laid upon the ground, severe injuries littered on his body and all of the weapons scattered.

“You will pay for having the audacity to threaten Ami. Now perish,” Anubismon said with chilling calmness as he used Amemit once again.

“Wait!” Ami cried out as she jogged down the stairs, “Let’s put away the attacks.”

With great reluctance, Anubismon followed Ami’s suggestion. It backed away from Vulcanusmon but kept a vigil for any sort of attack. There would be no third chance.

Vulcanusmon laughed with great bitterness, “I will accept your rule.”

This came as a surprise to Ami and she rubbed her chin in confusion, “Why the change of heart?”

It snorted at her question, “I can build nothing deleted.”

Tai snapped his fingers, “That’s the spirit! You can start with fixing up Wargreymon’s shield. It could use a couple upgrades.”

Ami cut him off with an elbow strike, “Shush, you need to cool down. The adrenaline is making you crazy.” She turned towards Vulcanusmon with a soft smile, “We don’t want your weapons or anything. It’s just you staying here will grab a lot of attention eventually. Once other humans find out, they’ll never leave you alone.”

She walked past Tai and placed a comforting hand on Vulcanusmon’s chest, “If you come with me, I promise no one will bother you. You can spend all day making whatever weapons you like, just for the sake of it. I don’t know how your life was in the digital world, but I swear to you that this isn’t some elaborate trick. Can you give me a chance, please?”

Vulcanusmon looked her in the eyes searchingly. The hands that were clenched loosened and his shoulders lowered, “I accept.”

“You won’t regret it. I’ll talk to you more later,” she said. She used her goggles to scan Vulcanusmon and pull him into its lenses.

Ami sighed in relief, “Thank goodness that is over.” She then spun and stared Tai down as she marched over and smacked him on the chest, “As for you: what were you thinking? You could’ve fallen and snapped your neck. ”

“It was the best plan I could think of at the time,” he said in embarrassment.

She huffed, “Everything about that plan could’ve been improved. Do you like being some kind of dare devil?” Her frustrated expression morphed into realization.

“What’s wrong?” Tai asked.

She groaned, “So that’s what it feels like on the other side. Now I’m going to have to apologize Arata for being reckless. He’s going to be so smug.”

Her expression of defeat was just too cute and humorous to Tai. He couldn’t help but comment, “Sounds like you and I aren’t that different after all.”

“That’s nothing to be proud of Tai. Don’t do that again. My heart can’t take it,” Wargreymon scolded.

“That boy has more guts than brains,” mocked Anubismon.

Joe raced to his side, “Tai let me see that hand right now!” He was in a near panic as he dressed the wounds on Tai’s hand.

Tai had to sit through a four way lecture. As trying as it was, he couldn’t help but smile at the sincere concern that they were showing. Said smile renewed their efforts in making him realize the error of his ways.

When they had said all they wanted to say, the group decided to end things for the day. Tai and Ami said their goodbyes and began their journey to her place.

Ami’s mood had significantly improved and she walked with a pep to her step, “I like your friends. They were everything you said they were. I have to return the favor next time. I’m sure my friends will love you, although Nokia might give you a hard time. Don’t mind her. She’s just a busybody.”

That nervous smile of hers, while cute, didn’t ease his concerns about her friend at all. Still, he enjoyed the walk to her place.

At her door, Ami looked him in the eye with grinned his way, “Thanks for the wonderful day and escorting me home. I had a great time. You should call me up for another outing. See you around.” She opened her door and was going to enter before he grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

He looked just as surprised as she did.

Labramon rolled his eyes and walked passed them both.

Tai’s eyes widened as he realized what he had done and he nearly jumped back. What was he doing? Things had been nice. There was no need to push for any more. Though he could admit that today had gone a lot better than he expected, especially after such a dry spell of dullness, he shouldn’t be greedy. Did he dare risk the good rapport he had built with Ami in the hopes of something more? To be honest, what did he even have to offer?

A steady silence had grown between them and Tai felt himself freeze in fear.

Ami broke the silence with a warm look in her eyes, ”We made a good team today, didn’t we?” She playfully shoved him. There was an undertone of encouragement, as though saying that he could speak his mind. 

Tai nodded. He felt reassured when Ami didn’t rush right back into her place, “It was pretty good having you around. You really had my back. Plans aren’t exactly my forte, but you seem pretty good at tactics.” If only that trust could be extended to something deeper, something romantic.

Well nothing was going to change if he just floundered around. He steeled his nerves and blurted louder than he would’ve liked, “Will you be my girlfriend?” Tai’s bravery left him and he stared at the ground. His heart pounded so loud that he could hardly hear anything. The cold air was choking.

Ami hands held his cheeks and pulled his eyes upwards. She spoke with a soft warmth that warmed his face right up and cleared his ears, “Thank you for asking. I would love to see where we can go, together.”

Stepping closer to him, she enveloped him into a hug that was just so comforting that it reminded him of a roaring fireplace. 

Tai returned the hug with a fervor. Her smaller figure was engulfed by his and he simply nestled in her open comfort. This was the embrace of his girlfriend, a girl that was willing to be with him despite how they met or how crappy he was in this whole dating business. Tai swore to work as hard as he needed to keep this feeling alive so she would never have that same expression Sora gave him when she turned him down. Tai would work until he bleed if he could keep this girl happy.

Too soon, they pulled away. His face flushed in heat despite the cold wind nipping at his skin. Tai was glad he had taken that step of courage. Being courageous wasn’t all bad after all. As they relished in the moment, stuck in their little world, a chipper voice broke in. 

“Yeah!” cheered Koromon as it jumped up and down by Tai’s feet, “You look so happy now, Tai! If you just needed a hug to cheer up, you could’ve just asked.”

Tai and Ami shared a hearty laugh.

“Want to step in real quick? I can get you a cup of coffee or tea before you head back,” Ami offered.

“That sounds great,” Tai said.

Kuromon smiled even wider, happy with the knowledge that Tai was happy. Sure, he didn’t get the big deal about their conversation, but he didn’t need to know. His partner wasn’t down in the dumps anymore, “Today’s a great day.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” he agreed.

Tai closed the door behind him. 


End file.
